Spidey spins his web for TV Guide

The movie comic fans are looking forward to the most this summer is naturally "Spider-Man." Many movie tie-ins and collectibles are planned and we got word of another tie-in that completists will want to get their hands on.

CBR News has learned that in late April/early May TV Guide will feature Spider-Man on its cover, tying in with the "Spider-Man" feature film hitting theatre's May 3rd. Similar to the design of the Alex Ross "Smallville" covers from last December, the Spider-Man issue will feature four different covers by some of yesterday and today's top Spider-Man artists

Current "Amazing Spider-Man" artist John Romita Jr. spoke with CBR News Thursday afternoon to share some details. The artists contributing to this special collectors-item issue are John Romita Jr., John Romita Sr., "Ultimate Spider-Man" artist Mark Bagley and Alex Ross, "Who obviously has a contract with TV Guide," Romita joked, referring to Ross' work on the "Smallville" issues.

The cover image will be one complete cover chopped into four pieces with a continuous background. Romita Jr. will pencil the entire cover, which he describes as four stop action shots of Spider-Man swinging from his web. The first of the four covers will also be inked by Romita Jr. and features Spider-Man letting go at the apex of his swing and shooting another web to continue. Covers two and three, to be inked by Romita Sr. and Bagley respectively in their own style, will find Spider-Man in full swing. The fourth cover, to be finished by Alex Ross in his style, shows Spider-Man hitting the apex of his swing once again and shooting another web. The colorists for covers one, two and three will determined by the inking artist. While the finished piece will be 20 inches wide by 7 inches tall, Romita tells us that he's actually working on a 40x14 plate which will be reduced in size for final production.

And how does John Romita Jr. feel about working with his father, Bagley and Ross on this special issue of TV Guide? "They'd all be lost without me!"